Chamber and committees

We understand the importance of aviation to the Highlands and Islands, which is why the Scottish Government provides funding to support the operations of Highlands and Islands Airport Limited (HIAL). In order to ensure that HIAL can continue to operate safe and regulatory compliant airports, supporting connectivity in the Highlands and Islands, we’re making a budget available to HIAL of £52.3 million in 2026-27. This subsidy is crucial to facilitating the operation of air services by enabling HIAL to set its airport charges at a lower level than they would otherwise, thus lowering costs for airlines.

We also continue to operate the Air Discount Scheme which provides residents of Shetland, Orkney, the Western Isles, Islay, Jura, Colonsay, Caithness and north-west Sutherland with a 50% discount on the core air fare on eligible services. We currently expect the scheme to provide support to registered scheme members of around £15 million in 2026-27.

As confirmed in the answer to S7W-00736 on 16 June 226, the Scottish Government has not withdrawn from the Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme. This was a fully Home Office-funded programme, to which the Scottish Government has not contributed funding. The Home Office decided in late 2025 to withdraw funding for the Scottish sites due to budget constraints.

The Scottish Government was approached about contributing funding to reinstate the Scottish sites at this time. WAND was primarily useful for being able to provide estimates of drug consumption in the tested area. The conclusion reached by both the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland was that the specific added value of wastewater analysis remained uncertain when compared with the existing, extensive surveillance system, coordinated via RADAR. On this basis, the Scottish Government determined that it would not be an effective use of limited budget to contribute to the programme.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The provision of air services is a matter for individual airlines. However the Scottish Government understand the importance of aviation to the Highlands and Islands. The continued provision of the Air Discount Scheme provides significant support to residents of Shetland, Orkney, the Western Isles, Islay, Jura, Colonsay, Caithness and north-west Sutherland with a 50% discount on the core air fare on eligible services. We currently expect the scheme to provide support to registered scheme members of around £15 million in 2026-27.

This is why we provide funding to support the operations of Highlands and Islands Airport Limited (HIAL). In order to ensure that HIAL can continue to operate safe and regulatory compliant airports, supporting connectivity in the Highlands and Islands, we’re making a budget available to HIAL of £52.3 million in 2026-27. HIAL’s strategic plan includes a priority to deliver a safe and sustainable airport operating model to meet the needs of customers, communities and colleagues. HIAL regularly engages with the communities it serves through a variety of fora adapting the engagement to the needs and formats best suited to the wide range of communities it serves.

As set out in the answer to question S7W-00422 on 3 June 2026, Social Security Scotland has the legal powers to undertake enforced deductions and pursue civil recovery where appropriate.

At the time the referenced report was published, recovery activity had been focused on voluntary overpayments because it is always preferable to agree arrangements for repaying with individuals if possible. However, as of January 2026 Social Security Scotland has now expanded its use of available recovery powers in relation to existing and newly accrued debts, including by developing options for enforced recovery and commencing civil recovery through the courts.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Since the launch of the £2 bus fare cap pilot in the Highlands and Islands in January 2026, the Scottish Government has received claims relating to 280,907 passenger journeys, with total reimbursement claims of £2,045,740.90 made by participating bus operators. The number of journeys and the value of claims may not align due to the claim validation process.

It is not yet possible to determine the number of additional passenger journeys generated by the scheme, however, the Scottish Government will work with participating operators over the summer to assess the impact of the pilot against comparable baseline data.

All figures are correct as of 2 June 2026.

The Contracts for Difference scheme is currently reserved to the UK Government. Any future changes to market arrangements will require careful design to support the continued delivery of Scotland’s offshore wind project pipeline and deliver savings for consumers.

The Scottish Government has no evidence that 20 mph speed limits increase fuel consumption. Evidence from Scotland and internationally shows that 20 mph speed limits reduce vehicle speeds. Lower, more consistent speeds can reduce harsh acceleration and braking which can lead to a range of benefits, including smoother traffic flows and a reduction in vehicle emissions.

These matters will be taken forward as part of the Government’s wider commitment to public sector reform and Parliament will be updated on any actions in the normal fashion.

Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads and associated infrastructure in their area. The Scottish Government does not make assessments on local authority inspection procedures or hold details of any lapsed inspections or assessments of their infrastructure.

The vast majority of funding (97.9% in 2026-27) continues to be provided to councils by means of a block grant from the Scottish Government. This is set out in the final Annex of the relevant Local Government Finance Circular, for example, Annex K of Local Government Finance Circular No. 2/2026.

It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and a number of national priorities agreed with COSLA. Many of those nationally agreed priorities entail additional funding being provided in-year by the relevant portfolio. In-year transfers are set out in the relevant chapter of the Scottish Budget, for example, Table 4.15 of the Scottish Budget 2026-27.

Work continues with COSLA and local government partners to reduce ring fencing and in-year transfers where possible and over £2.3 billion of previously ring-fenced funding and in-year transfers has been consolidated into the General Revenue Grant, since 2023.

The total funding provided to local government and the amount that was formally ringfenced and allocated as in-year transfers is set out in the following table, as requested.